It Was Never Really About The Time
by somethingoftheunknown
Summary: Dan Humphrey never takes off his watch. It's not that she cares, really... she's just curious.
1. You never take that off

**I know that I should be updating my other story but... hell I needed to get this out. Yes, I am neglecting the other story... but I promise to finish it. This chapter doesn't have that much D/B action but the next chapter would just... yeah... I'm not sure either.**

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

Dan Humphrey never takes off his watch.

It's not that she cares, really... she's just curious.

...well that's one of the reasons.

Truth is, she's just getting better at noticing things-- and Dan's watch just happen to be one of them

Why? Well he's been everywhere, being the only person she knows in Yale, and she's been distracting herself from the certain things that's happening in her life. Things the she wants to get distracted from.

Things that rhyme with Fuck and Hate.

--------

A Christmas party (they're all required to go home from college and attend) is what first gave Blair the opportunity to ask.

They both slip out of the party and ended up on the same balcony. Coincidence, of course, she wasn't curious enough to start stalking him.

"Humphrey."

"Waldorf."

After their usual greeting-- and realizing that neither of them plan to say anything else-- they both lean against the metal railing, facing the the Manhattan sky.

He wonders why she's here.

"Chuck and Nate." she says, as if reading his mind.

He doesn't ask. Instead, he offers his less dramatic reason.

"Bored."

She chuckles a little bit and turns to him, catching a glimpse of something shining.

"You never take that off." she said, gesturing towards towards his watch.

He quickly covered his wrist with his hand. This only caused Blair to become more interested.

"I guess I don't." he said coolly even if he knew his actions gave him away. Though he still hoped he wouldn't care that much.

"Why?" today wasn't his day.

"Nothing much." he answered hurriedly, mentally kicking himself for being way too obvious.

"Really now?" she looked at him skeptically.

He was starting to panic. Well, he was panicking more. He need get out of here.

"It's none of your business!" he said harshly then stormed back into the party, leaving a very confused and surprised Blair outside. He knew it was childish, but he would rather die than have Blair Waldorf find out. Well, not really.

--------

Jenny Humphrey saw her brother run from the balcony to the rooms upstairs, while tightly clutching his wrist. There was a bad feeling in her gut. She excused herself from Nate and walked towards the room Dan was in. With every step she took, she wished that he wasn't alone in that balcony.

"Dan..?" she carefully opened the door and stepped inside. He was sitting on the side of the bed with his head hung low and he was holding his watch really tight. "Dan take of your watch." she ordered, so he did.

Even though she's seen it a thousand times, the sight of the skin underneath always made her want to cry.

She subconsiously grabbed his hand and started tracing the deepest scar. He winced a little so she immediently took her hand off.

She stared at it and her thoughts flew to the memories of two years ago-- the time when he got that scar.

-

**_Jenny was just lying down the bed, staring at the ceiling that friday night. She was absorbing everything that happened to her family-- their mom left them, causing their dad to become sort of an alcoholic. Everything was falling apart._**

**_She heard the sound of scribbling from the other room. This must be the way her brother's coping-- writing._**

**_She spent the hours listening to him write. Finding some kind of relief at the sound of his pen against paper._**

**_The next day, he was doing the same, and she was still listening to it. Then suddenly it stopped, followed by the sound of something crashing. She waited for a few seconds before getting up._**

**_She pulled the garage door open, only to find her brother doing something with his pen that's not he's not supposed to be doing._**

**_She rushed to him and grabbed the pen._**

**_"What the hell are you doing!?"_**

**_He sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands._**

**_"Everything is falling apart..." he said, barely a whisper._**

**_She knelt down with him and held his wrist, trying to stop the blood from pouring out. It wasn't that deep, but his ballpen was so blunt, she couldn't even imagine how much pressure he had to put just to pierce through the skin, but he dragged it across his skin... god... she didn't even want to think about it._**

**_"It isn't, it isn't. We can get through this." she was trying to convince both of them._**

**_He hugged his sister's small frame while crying on her shoulder. She just lets him._**

**_"I'm sorry, Jen."_**

**_Tears fell from her eyes._**

**_"Please don't do that again."_**

**_"I won't, I promise." he hugged her tighter._**

**_"I can't lose you Dan. Not now, not ever. I almost..." she started sobbing._**

**_"You won't lose me... I promise."_**

**_"Don't... don't..."_**

**_"I won't."_**

**_They fell asleep on the floor that night with his arms around her. He never took it off until morning._**

-

She sat down beside him and hugged him when she realized that they were the same old scars, nothing new.

"I wouldn't, Jen... not again. I wouldn't" he said as both of them fell to the bed, never breaking contact.

"I know, I know. I was just..."

"Worried. I know. Blair was--"

"What? Blair? What did she do?"

He turned to her.

"No. She didn't do anything, she was just wondering why I don't take off my watch."

"Oh."

He brushed his hand on her cheeks.

"Don't worry, Jen. I won't, I won't." he yawned, causing her to yawn too.

"I know Dan. You won't." she said sleepily then closed her eyes.

"I won't leave you." he smiled and closed his eyes too.

"You won't, I know you won't." she murmured.

"I won't." he finally said before both of them fell into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**Yeah... I love it when Dan and Jenny act like sweet siblings. (It isn't happening much in this season.)**

**But I do think I kinda overdid the sweetness... Yeah...**

**Please review. Thank you.**

**And by the way... I'm now twelve!!! Yay!!!... yeah... uh... um... yeah... just putting it out there... yeah...**


	2. Goodnight Cabbage Patch

**I can't believe that I actually posted a second chapter to this. I thought that I would just forget about it... anyways I know that this was first posted as a romance/angst story but I ended up typing it up like this.**

**Okay, maybe there is angst but... just read it.  
**

* * *

A month after the party, Dan Humphrey's fist was once again, making rough contact another person's face. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, after a long absence, the infamous Dan Humphrey Right Hook has made an appearance. And what a show it was for Blair Waldorf, the reason he'll probably find himself half-naked, tied to yet another post, somewhere along the campus of Yale.

But man-who-harassed-Blair and co. weren't just going to stand there... obviously. So the two of them held Dan back, while black-eye-man (yes, nicknames change fast) started punching Dan across the face and gut alternately.

Blair could only scream as she watches blood trickle down Dan's face.

When dude-who-kept-on-hurting-Dan (I ran out of nicknames, okay?) and friends (?) finally stopped and left the bloody body on the floor, Blair imediently knelt in front of him.

"Cabbage Patch c'mon, get up! We need to get you to the infirmary!" she said, while trying to get him. "If you die now, S is so totally gonna bite my head off!"

"No, not the infirmary...." he managed to say, after getting up.

"Why!?"

"They'll take my watch."

"Who fucking cares about your watch! You're bleeding! C'mon!" she started pulling him to the direction of the clinic.

"No." he said while pulling his hand out of Blair's. "I'm going back to my room."

Blair wanted to let him be, but when he watched him walking wobbily, with blood still dripping off his head, she rolled her eyes and walked up to him, repeating in her head _I'm going to regret this. I'm going to regret this. I'm going to regret this._ She wrapped his arm around her shoulder, stabilizing him and staining her clothes (which are probably worth more than Humphrey) with Brooklyn blood.

"This way Humphrey, my dorm is closer."

* * *

"O-ouch!" he groaned as some kind of cold liquid brushes over his cuts.

"Keep quiet and hold still." she ordered while finished up the gauze. "There all better!"

She looked at him only to find him sleeping. _Sigh. _Her hand somehow found his face, and she started stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Thank you Dan."

His hand suddenly moved above hers and he murmured something along the lines of _Cedric_. She tries not to laugh.

Then, something caught her eyes.

She tries not to shake as her fingers carefully unstrap the watch.

"Oh god." her fingers trace the scar on his wrist.

"My mom left us... at that time, and my dad started drinking. I tried to write but my pen just ended up elsewhere."

"I- ah- sorry. I didn't mean to." she dropped his hand. "I thought..."

"Yeah, you weren't supposed to. But it was a long time ago, I stopped." he started to put the watch back on.

"How did you stop?" can't hold curiosity longer.

"Jenny.." he looked at her. "She..uh. Needed me. My dad was kinda out of it for almost a year, so I kinda supported our family then."

Blair suddenly stopped hating Dan, and started to get jealous of Jenny. In the Upper East Side, it's hard to find people that really cares, even your own family gets too caught up with themselves. This is what she has; A mother that always seem to pick her very blond best friend instead of her, and a father that cares, but not enough to stay with her.

"How did you do it?"

"We had a scholarship in high school. I worked a lot, night and day, got the jobs by lying about my age. Then my father snapped out of it when I almost kicked him out of his own home. I said it wasn't his anymore because all he does is laze around. I said to him that when I turn eighteen, I'm going to take Jenny and get away from him." he said almost casually, like this is what he regularly mentions in a conversation.

"How come nobody knows this?" surely she wasn't the first to know.

"Well I don't have a crazy, stalker, blogger following me around since birth." he said smiling, but Blair knows that it hurts when you try to remember things you've regretted doing in the past. "We don't talk about it much. My dad is okay, I'm okay, and Jenny is okay."

"Oh."

He tried to get up but then his body started to hurt all-over.

"I can't move."

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes "You got beaten up by three drunk fraternity boys. What'd you expect?."

"You do know that you're the reason I'm here."

"Yeah." she looked at him and smiled. "And thank you for that."

They spent the night talking, finding out that they weren't as different as they thought they were. And somehow they ended up sleeping together. (No, not like that. You very perverted readers.)

* * *

"I am going to have to sleep on your bed, you know?" there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

"What the hell? No way! Sleep on the couch!"

"I can't move, remember? C'mon Blair, I just got my ass kicked for you."

"No way am I sleeping on a couch." he laughs when she says that because Blair, the Ice Queen of the Upper East Side on a couch isn't really something you could imagine.

"Then you're going to have to sleep beside me." he challenges her.

And Blair being Blair, she won't back down, especially if the person challenging her was a self-righteous writer from Brooklyn.

"Fine." She positions himself beside him and pulled up the blanket. "Turn off the lamp."

"Yes Miss Waldorf." He rolled his eyes before doing as he's told.

"Good night Cabbage Patch."

"Good night Queen Waldorf."

That was one hell of a night.

* * *

**Thank you for reading... and You, yes You... please review this time.**


	3. Same here

**It came out sooner than I thought. This was supposed to be a side fic but this happened..**

* * *

Serena van der Woodsen was worried. There were only three things that ever made her worry; first was her family, of course; then there was Dan, but that was a long time ago; third was Blair.

So today, in the middle of a cold January morning, while walking towards the dorms of Yale, she's worrying about the latter. She hasn't seen Blair since Christmas, and she's been going through a tough time the last time she's talked to her. (Ah... guilt of abandoning a bestfriend.)

That's why when she was in front of Blair's dorm with her hand in a fist, ready to knock, she was prepared to see the worst. The worst meaning opening the door to Blair with puffy eyes and messed-up make-up and hair, or with wrappers of chocolate cluttered on her bed and the sound of retching in the bathroom.

The worst NOT being opening the door to see Blair sleeping on the bed with Dan Humphrey. NOT meaning seeing Blair sleeping beside an injured-looking Dan Humphrey. And definitely NOT meaning seeing Blair cuddling with said injured Dan Humphrey. (Did I mention he was shirtless!?)

"Sere-- Serena? Oh hey!" He started nudging Blair, probably unaware on how this situation looks like to Serena. "Hey Blair, Serena's here. Blair wake up."

"What, Cabbage Patch?" she asked sleepily then turned to blonde girl on the door. "Serena!" she got out of bed and darted to her. "Could you please excuse us for a minute?" Blair closed the door leaving a still speechless Serena outside.

* * *

"Why'd you do that?" Dan asked still very confused. God... sometimes he's more idiotic than Nate. (no offense to the people who love Nate.)

"Are you stupid!? Get up already!" she all but shouted at him while picking up something from the floor and throwing it at him. "Put your shirt on!"

He stood up only to be greeted by a sharp pain hitting various areas. "Ow! Shit... ow."

Blair doesn't seem to notice.

"You do know what this looks like to S?"

"Yes... I now realize my stupidity but I can't seem to care because my whole body is throbbing with pain." he said while walking (more like limping) towards her.

She placed a hand on where the bandage was.

"It still hurts?" she asks.

"Apparently... Yes."

"I told you that we should've gone to the infirmary." she argued with her hand still on him.

Serena just chose this moment to barge in for answers. Well, she thinks she got it when she was met by Dan and Blair standing, facing each other with an about-to-kiss distance... complete with the hand-on-cheek gesture (courtesy of Blair's hand and Dan's cheek).

"No S! This isn't what it looks like!" Blair jumped away from Dan.

"Well I'm glad you know what it looks like!" she answered (yelled) back then ran off.

Blair slumped on the bed and covered her head with a pillow, letting out an frustrated, muffled scream. Dan sat down beside her put a hand on her back.

"She wouldn't fucking listen." she said to him.

"I know, I know... just wait for her to calm down, then explain to her what really happened." he told her.

'Yeah. I'll just call her later so we could talk. It's not like we did anything. I mean seriously, how could she even think I slept with you." she laughed.

"I know right... I would never sleep with you unless I went insane." he laughed too (and moved a little closer).

"Even if I was a crazy drunk, I would never feel anything for you, much less sleep with you." she replied, their eyes locking (she moved a little closer too.)

"Yeah. If I kiss you now, I'm sure I won't feel a thing." their lips only inches away.

"Same here..." she said and closed the final gap between them.

The kiss was gentle enough to stop them from taking each other's clothes off, but passionate enough to stir up something deep inside them. Something somewhat akin to not hate (wow, that's new) maybe even like... or lo-- nevermind.

"See? Nothing." she said awkwardly when they pulled away.

"Yeah." he laughed nervously "Nothing."

* * *

"Hey Dan!" Nate ran after him. "Whoa. What happened to you? Slipped?"

"Oh, hey man. What are you doing in Yale? And yes... I slipped and the floor started punching me across the face." he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why would they beat you up? You barely go out, you just study."

"Oh gee, thanks for informing me of my lack of a social life." he glared at Nate who only gave him an apologetic look. "Those guys just started messing with Blair." he said with a sigh.

"And you defended her?" he asked, surprised.

"Of course. But punching the face of a dude with two more drunk friends around... wasn't really my brightest idea."

"Haha. Do you know where Blair's dorm is?"

The sudden change of topic took him by surprise, the last time he checked Nate and Blair weren't exactly in good terms. Did he want to get back with her? Not that he cares... okay, maybe a little bit. But that's only because he's worried that Blair might get hurt aga-- god, who was he kidding? Ever since they kissed he started having feelings for her... which shouldn't be good.

"Uh. Yeah. Why?" he asked nervously.

"It's kind of the reason I came here... I need to talk to her." Nate answered.

"Oh. So you gonna get back together with her?"

"I'm not sure... I first need to clear things up with her."

"Oh." he said half-relieved and hlaf-worried. Relieved because they're not getting back together; worried because there's already an evil plan in his head to stop them from getting together. He suddenly feels like he's losing his morally superior-ness thanks to the Queen Bitch herself. Still not good.

* * *

"So that's what happened." Blair finished after explaining _this morning's_ _incident _to Serena. Although she did leave out the what's-under-that-watch part and the _other incident _after _this morning's incident. _The one that involves kissing a certain writer from Brooklyn. The writer that has a certain Cabbage Patch kid. The Cabbage Patch Kid that has a certain name that rhymes with Fredric. (okay you get it.)

"I'm so sorry for jumping to conclusions earlier. It's just that when I saw you and Dan, I freaked." Serena answered.

"Why? Do you still like him?" Blair was surprised at what just stumbled out of her mouth.

"No. Not like that anymore. I mean our parents are like married and they've already sacrificed their relationship once for us."

"Oh." she said half-releived and half-worried. Releived because they weren't getting back together; worried because her scheming head already has a plan to keep them apart. There's something wrong with her and Humphrey is to blame... because kissing him is doing wonders to her brain.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Please review.**

**Tell me also which fic of mine you like better... I dunno... just curious.**


	4. Sir, May I Go Out With Blair?

**Yes, another chapter. Don't expect too much though.**

**And one scene here is shamelessly stolen from a commercial. (If you're a Filipino, you'll know which.)  
**

* * *

"I like you Blair Waldorf, would you go out on a date with me."

He stared back at his reflection. Hm, that didn't sound so bad. Maybe just a little bit more confidence and Dan Humphrey could stand a chance with Blair Waldorf.

"Okay Dan, you could do this." he started "She might hate you and she might be the Epitome of Girly-Evil but she's the Epitome of Girly-Evil that you also happen to like, so pull yourself together." he looked back at the mirror again "Argh..." he groaned. "Okay, giving yourself a pep-talk in front of the mirror doesn't really work."

"Hey Dan." Serena van der Woodsen walked in the room.

"Serena! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came to see you." she answered simply.

"About this morning-"

"It's okay." she cut him off "Blair explained everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything. Drunk frat dudes, your hero complex, got beaten-up in the process and your apparent fear of nurses. Blair fixed you up in her dorm."

"Fear of-? Oh, right yeah." maybe a better excuse would be nice, but at least Blair pitied him enough to not mention the things that shouldn't be mentioned.

"I didn't know about that." Serena laughed.

* * *

"Tonight?" she asked.

"Tonight." Nate confirmed.

Once the door closed she flopped on the bed. Yes! She and Nate will go on a date tonight and they'll realize that they still love each other and they'll kiss and they'll live a happily ever after.

It would be perfect all-over again.

_Sigh._There's seems to be something wrong.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

Ugh. Why was somebody disturbing her while she was figuring out her feelings for Nate.

She opened the door to none other than Dan Humphrey.

Butterflies.

* * *

Take 1. (Fail.)

He was brimming with confidence as he knocked on the door. He could do this.

The door opened and it looked like Blair wasn't exactly in her best mood.

"What?" she snarled.

Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay. Run. Stay?

"I uh..." confidence has flown out the window " W-would you like... to go on a date... w-with me?"

"No."

Well at least the door missed his nose.

* * *

Take 2. (Better But...)

Ok, confidence back, dignity... in tact. Try again, no stuttering.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"What is it?" she growled.

"Blair, would you go out with me?" Yes! Nice. Smooth. And...

"No."

Face palm.

* * *

Take 3. (Maybe, Maybe.)

Props ready, flowers and chocolate.

"Blair Waldorf, I like you, would you go out with me?"

This time, she bites her lip and looks down at the floor. She could feel the butterflies too! Who cares if he sounded like Chuck Bass a while ago? If she says yes the this would be-

"No."

* * *

She slammed the door for what seemed like the third time this day.

Why was Dan so determined to go out with her? Apperently he likes her. Maybe she did too.

But there was dinner and Nate... That's all she needs, right?

* * *

The professor was on his limit. The students keep dropping their pencils, chatting with each other, making paper airplanes and ignoring him. He feels like he's teaching grade-school students!

But who could blame them? The lecture was dragging because most of them already know what the professor is talking about and it was just boooooooring.

* * *

Take 4. (The Stupidest One)

Blair saw Dan look back at her for a second and she knows he'll do something stupid.

He raised his hand.

"Sir." he tries and is being ignored "Sir... Sir." apparently the professor knows its stupid too. Two hands waving desperately "Sir, sir, sir."

"What? Mr. Humphrey." he growled and it sorta reminded Dan of Blair... who, ironically enough, is the reason he's doing this.

"May I go out... With Blair."

* * *

"Why do you keep asking me out on a date?" she exclaimed after she dragged him to her room. "Really Humphrey? In front of the whole class? You're lucky the bell rang right after that."

" And got dragged in here by you... I know, totally irrelevant... anyways, I told you already, I like you." he answered

"Why?" she exclaimed.

"Look, when we kissed I felt something." he pulled her closer "I know you felt it too."

She looked away from him.

"I didn't." she tried.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that. Tell me that you didn't feel something, anything for me."

"Humphrey... we can't- you can't-"

He pulled her for a kiss. He didn't know why he did that, it doesn't have anything to with the date anymore. He just wanted to do it again.

* * *

She knows that Humphrey shouldn't be kissing her, but then it feels so good and she finds herself kissing back.

But then there's dinner and Nate and this isn't perfect. So she pushed him away.

"Wait! I'm going out with Nate tonight."

"Oh."

_No. You're not supposed to say that. You're supposed to ask me out again._

"Do you- do you love him?"

_No. You're not supposed to ask that._

"I do, and I'm going to tell him that tonight."

"Oh."

_No. Don't look so defeated._

"Good luck with Nate, I'm sure he loves you too."

_No! You're supposed to kiss me again and I'll forget about Nate._

"Bye."

"Bye."

* * *

He ends up drowning his sorrows in a coffee shop (Because he's not Chuck Bass).

"Hey Dan."

He looks up.

"Oh hey... Nate? I thought you have this thing... with Blair."

"Oh right! I totally forgot about that."

"Nate, answer me. Why are you getting back together with Blair?"

"Because it's easier."

"Do you love her?"

He looked down at his shoes.

"Y-yes."

Okay, that was enough.

Dan tackled Nate to the floor and started punching him causing screams to erupt from costumers, but he didnt care.

"Why. Do. You. Keep. Doing. That. To. Her?"

Nate pushed him off causing Dan to stagger backwards.

"What the hell, man?" he shouted as he punched Dan, re-opening his wounds.

Dan was about to fight him off when he remembered... Blair!

He left the coffee shop filled with shocked costumers and a very confused Nate.

* * *

She would like to think that he was running late and he was on his way, he wouldn't leave her standing alone here, would he?

But then somebody wraps their arms around her from behind, she knows that he wouldn't come.

"You're not Nate." she says shakily.

"I know and I'm sorry." Dan answers.

She leans into him.

"He doesn't love me, never has, never will."

"Nate is stupid." he said firmly "How could anyone not love you."

"Do you love me?" she asks hopefully.

"Not yet." he kisses her.

"That's good enough." she says against his mouth.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, please review.**

**And also, I already have an idea for _Secrets _but I can't seem to write it down.**

**Fun Fact: I found this cool You Tube video of Penn Badgley singing in this old TV show, he was just 14 years old. Link's on my profile (the second link, not the long one for Enchong).**

**Not-so-Fun Fact: About the story I promised... you know, _A Simple Story _well it's running late (because of certain files being deleted and certain notebooks being thrown to the trash "accidentally", note the quotation marks) so sorry.  
**


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